Four decades later, the Canary Islands have once again hosted the Armed Forces Day celebrations. Over 3,260 military personnel paraded through the streets of Santa Cruz de Tenerife this Saturday in a spectacle overseen by the king and queen, closely observed by thousands of citizens. It’s not the first time King Felipe VI has taken part in this institutional event in the Tenerife capital; he previously did so in 1986 as a cadet knight at the General Military Academy.
From early in the morning, the city streets began to fill with people, creating an event that fosters interaction between civilians and the military, aiming to enhance public understanding of the Armed Forces and appreciate their efforts both nationally and in overseas missions.
A total of 3,266 personnel from the Army, Navy, Air and Space Force, Military Emergency Unit (UME), Royal Guard, and Civil Guard (13% of whom are women) took part in the parade along a 1,120-metre route from the junction of Avenida de Penetration Sur and Avenida de la Constitución to the Víctor Zurita Soler roundabout.
This year, citizens couldn’t see the horses that traditionally escort the king, as they were not included to spare them the stress of the journey from the mainland.
The Event
At 11:30 local time (12:30 mainland time), the royal couple arrived by car and were greeted by the Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, the Chief of Defence Staff (JEMAD), Admiral General Teodoro Esteban López Calderón, the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, and the Mayor of Santa Cruz, José Manuel Bermúdez.
The national anthem and a 21-gun salute were met with applause and cheers for the king and queen from the crowd gathered near the guest stands and on balconies adorned with Spanish flags.
Arrival of the parachutists with the flag / Arturo Jiménez
King Felipe, dressed in full naval regalia, inspected the Honour Battalion, and the royals then greeted both civilian and military dignitaries, including the Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska.
Before the commencement, the public was kept about a hundred metres away from the stands in a cordoned-off area. Once the authorities settled into their stands, security allowed the public to approach, which they did in masses.
Even though attendance was lower than in previous years due to the island location, the enthusiasm of the spectators remained high throughout.
Flag hoisting and tribute
Following the flag hoisting and tribute to those who have given their lives for Spain, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, now at the royal forum in front of the Adán Martín Auditorium, watched the parachute jump by the Air Force’s acrobatic patrol team (Papea) from 1,000 metres high, executed with incredible precision.
The first to land was Corporal Iván García-Estrada, carrying a flag with the emblem of the king’s 10th anniversary proclamation, followed shortly by Corporal 1st Class Francisco Vico, with a 24-square-metre Spanish flag weighing 15 kilos. This Papea trainer will retire to the reserves at the end of the summer, concluding a parachuting career with over 12,000 jumps and numerous national and international awards.
The flight of seven C-101 airplanes from the Eagle Patrol, affectionately known as ‘culopollos,’ painted the sky with the Spanish flag, marking the start of the aerial display. Forty-five aircraft participated, ten fewer than expected due to low cloud cover.
Eurofighters, F-18s, Harriers, and helicopters from the Aspa Patrol flew over the city, greeted by loud applause from the crowd.
Following this, motorised units paraded, led by the Royal Guard, including Leopard armoured vehicles, Pizarro tanks, and all-terrain trucks. In total, 67 vehicles and 33 motorbikes participated, followed by the marching units.
As usual, the most applauded were the UME and the Legion, which introduced ‘Camarón,’ a year-and-a-half-old brown and white goat, as their mascot in the parade.
A final flyover by the Eagle Patrol, celebrating its 40th anniversary this month, concluded the main event of Armed Forces Day, held annually on the Saturday closest to 30th May, the feast of Saint Fernando.
This parade capped a week of celebrations in the archipelago, including a naval review, aerial parade, and dynamic display on Friday in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, also attended by the king and the Defence Minister.
Hundreds gathered along the seafront and Alcaravaneras Beach to witness the S-81 ‘Isaac Peral’ submarine, participating in such an event for the first time.
